Mancini succeeds Eusebio Di Francesco on the roll of honour and becomes the first CT to win the award since Cesare Prandelli in 2011.

“In love with the football played well and young players, Roberto Mancini is the right man to revive Italian love for the national team,” read the jury’s motivation.

“The hope is that he can keep it up by retracing the footsteps of the great Enzo Bearzot, whom he didn’t have an easy relationship with as a player but who also represents a model for him to follow as CT.”

The award was founded in 2011 and is named after 1982 World Cup-winning CT Enzo Bearzot.

Mancini took over the Azzurri last May after their failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup and has overseen a rise in the FIFA ranking, as well as a winning start to Euro 2020 qualifying, while calling up several young players.